Byline: Link in Portugal
Last updated: 13 November 2026
If you could not go to work on Wednesday 11 November 2026 because of Storm Charles, you may be wondering whether your employer can take that day out of your pay. The Labour Minister was asked about this on Friday 13 November and said only that the general labour law applies, sending any doubts to the Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho (ACT), the labour inspectorate, RTP reports.
ACT has already explained the rules. Here is what it said, and what you can do now.
What happened
The Government declared a situação de alerta (alert situation) for all of mainland Portugal on 11 November, closing schools and non-essential public services and asking people to stay at home where possible, as we reported in our Storm Charles live updates. Private companies were not ordered to close, so many workers had to decide whether they could travel.
According to RTP, the Minister of Labour, Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, said on 13 November that the general labour law should be applied, and referred questions about paying for that Wednesday to ACT. On 12 November, the PCP parliamentary leader asked the Government to make sure ACT checks that no worker loses out, Lusa reported.
What ACT says
In guidance published on its website on 10 November, ACT said that in extreme or adverse weather, absences from work can be justified, without loss of pay, when:
- it was really impossible to travel to your workplace; and
- it was really impossible to do your work (for example, because working from home was not possible).
ACT also said that a school closure can justify an absence, without loss of pay, when there was no other way to look after your children.
ACT says the alert situation does not itself grant a general exemption from work, or automatically justify absences, except for workers who are also volunteer firefighters or Portuguese Red Cross operational staff, as provided in the alert measures. The legal basis usually cited is article 249(2)(d) of the Labour Code (Código do Trabalho): an absence caused by it being impossible to work because of a fact the worker is not responsible for, Expresso explains. What counts is whether it was really impossible, not just difficult, to get to work or to do the work.
What it means for immigrant workers
Many of our readers work in restaurants, cleaning, construction, farming, delivery and care, where working from home is not an option. If you stayed at home because roads or public transport were cut, or because your child’s school was closed and there was nobody else to look after them, ACT’s guidance says this can be a justified absence with normal pay. The rules are the same for every worker with a contract in Portugal, whatever your nationality or residence status.
What to do now
- Tell your employer. ACT says you should tell your employer about the absence as soon as possible. If you have not done it yet, do it now, in writing (an email or a message you can keep).
- Keep proof. If your employer asks for it, ACT says you must show proof of the reason within 15 days. Useful proof includes a school’s statement that it was closed, a transport operator’s notice that services were suspended, or official news of road closures.
- Check your payslip. If the day is cut from your pay and you think the absence was justified, you can contact ACT. Expresso notes that workers whose justification is refused can report it to ACT.
- Do not accept pressure to use a holiday day without checking your rights first.
Key dates
- 11 November 2026: alert situation in mainland Portugal; schools and non-essential public services closed.
- 13 November 2026: the Labour Minister refers pay questions to ACT.
- 15 days: the time ACT gives you to show proof, if your employer asks for it.
Related
- Storm Charles: warnings and live updates
- Minimum wage 2027 in Portugal
- Public sector strike on 20 November
Sources
- ACT – Situação de Alerta SST — Trabalhos em condições meteorológicas adversas (10 November 2026)
- RTP – Ministra do Trabalho remete para ACT dúvidas sobre o pagamento de quarta-feira (13 November 2026)
- Notícias ao Minuto / Lusa – ACT esclarece regras de faltas ao trabalho por causa da depressão Charles (12 November 2026)
- Notícias ao Minuto / Lusa – PCP exige que trabalhadores não sejam prejudicados por faltas no temporal (12 November 2026)
- Expresso – Depressão Charles: que tipo de faltas são justificadas? (10 November 2026)
- ACT – Autoridade para as Condições do Trabalho (homepage)
Image: Link in Portugal branded graphic (original work). This article is general information, not legal advice. Each case depends on the facts, so check with ACT if you are unsure. Byline: Link in Portugal. Last updated: 13 November 2026.
